Lady Dogs stay undefeated in district, Wrenn gets 599th win

Published 9:20 am, Saturday, January 12, 2013

Lady Dog Taivia Hearn covers the paint during Plainview’s game in San Angelo Friday night.

Lady Dog Taivia Hearn covers the paint during Plainview’s game in San Angelo Friday night.

Photo: Carmen Ortega/Plainview Herald

Lady Dogs stay undefeated in district, Wrenn gets 599th win

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

After a giant first half, the Lady Dogs just couldn’t be caught as the Plainview girls earned their third straight victory in district with a punishing 52-35 win over the San Angelo Lakeview Maidens.

Now undefeated in their district run, the Lady Dogs kept their reign at the top of district intact as the girls improved to 3-0 in district and now hold an 18-8 overall record.

Lady Dog head coach Danny Wrenn also picked up his 599th career win Friday as the 23-year Plainview coach is just one win shy of reaching the significant 600th mark.

After being cooped up on a bus for four hours, the Lady Dogs hit the court like dynamite once they entered the San Angelo gym.

In the first three minutes of the game, a 3-pointer and a two-point field goal apiece from sophomores Karli Wheeler and Meredith McDonough propelled the girls to an early 10-1 lead in the first quarter.

On defense, the Lady Dogs had the paint covered as they forced the Maidens to give up turnover after turnover. In the first quarter alone, Wheeler forced a steal; McDonough picked up two rebounds and two steals; Bailey Davis snagged two rebounds and a block and junior Tavia Hearn ended the first period with two steals.

With the Dogs’ defense keyed in, fast-break transitions kept the number of Bulldogs fans in attendance cheering as buckets from Kristen Reynolds, Stacey Da La Garza and Carley Hardage ended the first period with the Lady Dogs up 19-6.

In the second quarter, Reynolds was the queen of the fast-break as assists from Wheeler and Garza helped the senior rack up seven more points before the half.

With just four turnovers before the half and a steady defense, the Lady Dogs kept the lead and sent the Maidens into the locker room trailing 35-16 at the break.

In the third, the Dogs’ offense lost a little luster as Plainview managed only seven points in the period. But the Lady Dogs’ signature defense kept the tables even as heavy rebounds and steals held San Angelo at seven.

Up 42-23 going into the final period, the Lady Dogs continued to have trouble finding the bucket as the Maidens were able to outscore Plainview 12-10 in the fourth, thanks to a handful of free throws. But the profitable first half and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Jennifer Alonzo was enough to put San Angelo away as Plainview walked off the court with a 52-35 win.

“We defended well in the first half and came out with a lot of energy and jumped all over them,” said Wrenn after the game. “San Angelo runs a zone, and we were able to find some opening and take some shots. In the second half, not so much; we missed some advantages and didn’t finish very well. But we got the ‘W’ and that’s what’s important.”

Reynolds led the Dogs in shooting as the senior hit double-digits by sinking 12 points against San Angelo. Reynolds also ended the night with three rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block.

McDonough and Alonzo left San Angelo with nine points apiece. McDonough had a solid defensive night as well, as the sophomore grabbed four rebounds, an assist and three steals. Along with going 2-for-5 at the free throw line, Alonzo ended the night with three rebounds and two assists.

Wheeler also had three rebounds in the night to add on to her eight points against San Angelo. Wheeler also had four assists and a steal.

Bailey Davis rounded out the Dogs’ top scorers with seven but also picked up four rebounds and three blocks in the game.

De La Garza ended the night with four points, two assists and two steals.

On defense, Shalee Bennett snagged three rebounds, an assist and a steal; Miranda Ball had two rebounds and Carley Hardage had a steal.

The Lady Dogs stay on the road Tuesday as the girls head to Lubbock High to take on the Westerners, who were defeated Friday by Hereford 69-47.

Now Playing:

On Tuesday, the Lady Dogs will look to improve to 4-0 in district while Wrenn looks for his 600th win.